Caramel Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole (Print View)

Golden baked layers of caramel-drizzled brioche with cream cheese filling make this overnight breakfast absolutely irresistible.

# Ingredient List:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 1 loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 18 oz)
02 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 1.5 cups whole milk
05 - 0.5 cup heavy cream
06 - 0.5 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - Pinch of salt

→ Caramel Sauce

10 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
11 - 0.5 cup unsalted butter
12 - 0.25 cup heavy cream

→ Topping

13 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
14 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# Directions:

01 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt brown sugar and butter, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream until fully combined. Pour the caramel sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Arrange half of the bread cubes evenly over the caramel layer.
03 - In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese over the bread layer, spreading gently but leaving some dollops.
04 - Top with remaining bread cubes.
05 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Pour evenly over the bread and cream cheese layers, pressing gently to soak.
06 - Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least 6 hours) to allow the bread to absorb the custard.
07 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove casserole from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
08 - In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
09 - Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until puffed, golden, and set in the center. If browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
10 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally with extra caramel sauce or fresh berries.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks impossibly elegant but actually gives you freedom the morning of—no scrambling while guests arrive.
  • That caramel layer underneath becomes this molten, golden situation that makes everyone think you're a pastry chef.
  • The cream cheese pockets create little pockets of richness that surprise you with every bite.
02 -
  • Stale bread is genuinely better here than fresh bread because it has less moisture and will actually absorb the custard instead of turning into mush—use bread from yesterday or the day before.
  • If you pull it out of the fridge and the top looks a little wet still, that's not a problem; it'll set up during baking, but if you're worried, you can let it sit a bit longer before putting it in the oven.
  • The caramel will seem thin when you first make it, but it thickens as it cools, so don't panic and try to make it thicker or you'll end up with burnt sugar instead of silky caramel.
03 -
  • If your baking dish is shallow, use a deeper one and add both layers of bread first, then all the cream cheese, then cover with more bread—just make sure everything still gets soaked evenly with custard.
  • The caramel sauce can be made up to three days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature, which means you can literally just assemble this in ten minutes the night before if you're running late.
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